The agenda for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ upcoming 2022 Annual Retreat has something brand new placed at the very end.
A motion included on that agenda calls for Guilford County to give $2 million in taxpayer money to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum at 134 S. Elm St. in Greensboro.
Usually, when the county gives money to non-profits, it does so in the annual budgets that are adopted each June.
This item, which has appeared out of the blue, is sponsored by Commissioner Carlvena Foster, the Vice-chair of the Board of Commissioners.
Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston was one of the founders of the museum and, over the years, Alston has been a strong advocate for the museum that highlights the struggle for civil rights and the famous Sit-In Movement that began at the building’s lunch counter in 1960.
The agenda item reads as follows, “Consider approval of a grant request to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum totaling $2,000,000 to include: $1,000,000 towards closing costs on the building located at 134 South Elm Street and 2.2 acres of property located at the corner of West Market and 100 South Elm Street, and $200,000 per year for the following five (5) years to complete property acquisition.”
The 2021-2022 Guilford County budget adopted last June will need to be amended to include the first $1 million, while the remainder of the money will be given to the museum in future county budgets.
The motion continues: “Upon approval, direct staff to take any and all necessary actions, including budget amendments to execute the grant. The property acquisition supported by this grant request will allow the expansion of museum exhibit space and operations, and support museum efforts to have the ICRCM property designated as a World Heritage Site and included on a list of 10 American Civil Rights landmarks nominated by the United States.”
The commissioners are scheduled to approve the move as one of the very last business items on Friday, March 18 – the second day of the board’s two-day annual retreat.
Alston, the board’s chairman, is a seasoned politician who rarely, if ever, includes an important item on the agenda unless there are enough votes to pass it. That means there’s a virtual certainty the board will approve the $2 million grant for the museum on Friday.
The saga continues! Will it never end? More tax dollars down a rat hole.
Say’s something when President Obama, who visited Greensboro several times did not take the tour. Wonder why?
I will no longer be surprised if I see an elephant fly, a dog speak English, or bird poop spray directly from a drive thru car wash. With everything the County NEEDS to spend money on, we piss it away on things that should fund themselves in the name of politics, or worse…
Hey “Just Sayin”! I’ve reached the conclusion that you are British. Am I right?
Cheers!
Please tell me that Ole Skip recused himself when the vote came up for approval of this big waste of money!!!!!!!!!!
I reminded all that when Democrats took over our taxes will go through the roof. It’s not only Skip but those other Democrats on this board .
When Repuwere in charge we never had this foolishness to come up,although Skip was on board ,he had no leverage.I ask all to keep November in mind and vote out all people that use a ‘D’ after their name.What do we have to lose ,Democrats have done nothing but Spend,Spend and more Spending HELP ME GET THEM OUT!!!!!!
The bird pooping spray at a drive-thru car wash would be a cool idea – flamingos and parrots – a great theme going there. Someone should run with that.
Why not, just keep pouring money down the bottomless hole. King Skippy and his merry band of Liberals love spending hard earned taxpayer money for their own.
Nothing to see here folks, just walk on by. Nobody is using tax dollars to pay for their “special” interest. Can you say audacious and self serving?
So the county revalues all the property in Guilford County. Refuses to lower the tax millage rate to make the increase tax neutral. Hence they are putting their paws in every property owners pockets at gun point and taking money from them. And now they want to give $2 million of the extracted money to a private enterprise?
It seems to me if the Civil Rights Center were a successful enterprise it would be supporting it’s self. If it’s not a successful enterprise I’d sure like to hear a clear explanation as to why my money is needed to keep it’s doors open. Why am I supporting Mr. Alston’s pet project? How much of the County Commissioners personal money is being donated to the Center to support Mr.Alston’s pet project?
Why are the taxpayers investing more of our money into this when they still have unpaid bills? Guess it all depends on who is on the County Commissioners that have a stake in this. Unbelievable!!!
Hope no one is surprised. I wrote about this happening in another article a couple weeks ago. And the pitiful money pit museum just gets bigger. Skip please tell us taxpayers how many paying visitors came through the doors last year and don’t include the school children that we taxpayers paid for. Are you scared to tell us. If you don’t I will. The info is out here
Whether Chairman Alston owns or leases to the museum any real property and/or whether he receives other compensation from the museum, are questions that should be answered before he votes.
This money for the Civil Rights Museum is unbelievable! This organization has never shown transparency in their first millions of dollars they were given or were donated to this museum. Such a disgrace that more money is being given without any accountability. This money could go to any other projects and be used responsibly.
As the small businesses of the Productive Sector struggle to stay alive, the Parasite Sector is awash with money. The Federal Govt. is printing money and borrowing money in obscene amounts, and so Leftists throughout the country are following suit (and being gifted millions by the Feds). So the public purse becomes a slushfund for socialists, all over America. But that’s not enough to satiate the greed of the Parasite Sector. In just Guilford County our Property Taxes are set to go through the roof, courtesy of the Democrat controlled board.
Leftists like to smear the free market system as the epitome of greed, but the real greed is displayed by the Parasite Sector, over and over again.
Sure wish we had money to fix up our neighborhood streets that have cracks, holes and weeds growing in them!
No kidding! You just about need a 4 wheel drive vehicle to make it down parts of Elm Street.
No more funding!!!!!!
Same ole slime ball skip you just need Earl around to have it like it was 20 years ago. Why not put this request to the people in November. It’s their money after all. We all know why, you slime ball piece of c$$p
So are we planning on giving all non profit organizations 2 million dollars?? If so I’m for this as we need to be equitable in our gifts at the county level of government. Will they ask for even more money to up grade this building and site?? We should be teaching non profits to fish as the old saying goes. Teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life, give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Seems like we never taught this non-profit to fish so I’m sure they will be coming for more money in the future..
Conflict of interest? Skip is following the city council to give our tax dollars away without comment from the public.
When will this county government start spending our tax dollars wisely for the citizens of Guilford county instead of in special interest groups?
Issues like this blatant conflict of interest, need to be brought up in this next election cycle. Greensboro and Guilford county will never be right until they overhaul their sorry collection of elected officials. The fact that most of these clowns keep getting re-elected just tells me that the tax paying citizens deserve what they’re getting. Municipal election numbers are always so low. I guess no one thinks local council and commissioner seats are important, but they’re the ones who get the first bite out of everyone’s wallets.
Wonder what is the net worth of Skip and Earl Jones? They’ve been able to get lots of money from both the city and county and there’s nothing to show for it. Remember the midnight decision by a former city attorney who demanded the finance director sign a check for the museum? The attorney was given his walking papers, but he was doing the bidding of the elected class.
If the so called commissioners pass this at the retreat then please call, text, beg, borrow or steal any of your friends votes to get rid of any commissioner who votes for it. There are too many other pressing needs in our county that should be funded first. skip has no shame when it comes to taxpayer dollars maybe this is his way of getting “reparations “.
Maybe a full public audit of the Museum should be included for taxpayers to see where all other tax dollars have gone when given to the Museum. So sad the museum can’t garner enough support from the public at large or private corporate sponsors. Probably because any donor that did due diligence would consider throwing money down Skips pet project hole is a waste of money that could be used better any number of ways.
Government should NEVER fund charitable organizations – it’s not their money!! Charitable orgs are supposed to get off their sorry asses and raise their own money, from private businesses or individuals. What I think is a worthy cause is not necessarily what anyone else thinks is a worthy cause, but if I’m spending my money, who cares, right? I certainly don’t care how anyone else spends their own money.
But, when a politician decides to give my hard earned money, that they have taken from me by force (I go to jail, or lose everything I have if I don’t pay my taxes), to a charitable organization that I don’t care for, that’s just plain wrong, and is over the line. To put it in terms that the woke left can comprehend, “it hurts my feelings!!”
If a charity cannot stay afloat through its own fund raising efforts, they’re either A) not a worthy enough cause for enough people in that area, B) not using their contributed funds wisely, or C) just plain lazy and not putting enough effort into fund raising.
If politicians feel strongly enough about a certain charity, let them contribute their own money. I’m even OK with them campaigning for their particular charities of choice, endorsing them, and assisting with fund raising efforts, but never giving tax payer money away like they do.
How many politicians get kick-backs from charities they give other people’s money to?
I agree with everyone about everything. The Libertarian or Jeffersonian approach is the best.
So how can citizens stop sending these clowns our hard-earned cash? It is no less than extortion.
People need to get out and vote these commissioners out !!! The people of guilford county should have voted on this 2 million dollars. As others have said there are so many issues in Guilford county this is a waste of tax payers money . The museum should be able to sustain itself at this point it’s obvious that people are not lining up to get in bc it’s constantly needing money . If this has been voted on would have failed miserably.
The money will be given to the museum and there is nothing we tax payers can do about it at this point. However, just remember who voted for it come election time and vote accordingly. Alston should recuse himself from this vote due to his personal involvement in the museum.
Legally there is a way. A class action lawsuit against austin and the commissioners will pass muster. Just need the right attorney to get started
Point well taken. Excellent idea.
You mean ALSTON (I hope).
Yes sorry about that. Damn spellcheck